# Eugen-Ludwig Zweigart

Eugen-Ludwig Zweigart (3 May 1914 – 8 June 1944) a former German fighter ace in the Luftwaffe. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II, awarded by Nazi Germany for extreme battlefield bravery. He was credited with 69 victories.

## Career

On 11 November 1941, Zweigart made a forced landing at Sablin, near Lyuban, following combat damage sustained to his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 12943—factory number).
On 27 July 1943, Zweigart was shot down in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 15678) by Supermarine Spitfire fighters, bailing out near Norden.
On 8 June 1944, Zweigart was shot down flying Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 (Werknummer 170736) in aerial combat near Les Champeaux, France. He bailed out and was allegedly shot and killed while hanging in his parachute. He was interred at the Saint-Désir-de-Lisieux German war cemetery.

## Summary of career
### Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Zweigart was credited with 69 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 69 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions. This figure includes 54 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 15 over the Western Allies. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 66 aerial victory claims plus two further unconfirmed claims. This figure includes 52 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 14 on the Western Front, including ten four-engined bombers.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 10131". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km$^2$). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.
Chronicle of aerial victories :
| This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Zweigart did not receive credit.  This along with the * (asterisk) indicates an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which was counted as an aerial victory.  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman. ||||||||||
| Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location |
| – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Action at the Channel and over England — October 1940 – 29 March 1941 ||||||||||
| 1 | 10 November 1940 | 12:20 | Blenheim | 25 km (16 mi) northeast of De Kooy | | | | | |
| – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941 ||||||||||
| 2 | 22 June 1941 | 14:25? | I-153 | | 6 | 11 September 1941 | 09:55 | I-18 (MiG-1) | |
| 3 | 30 June 1941 | 12:32 | SB-3 | Dünaburg | 7 | 30 September 1941 | 16:30 | ground-attack aircraft? | |
| 4 | 6 July 1941 | 18:50 | SB-3 | | 8 | 5 November 1941 | 13:05 | I-26 (Yak-1) | Kolpino |
| 5 | 14 July 1941 | 16:20 | SB-2 | | 9 | 1 December 1941 | 09:27 | I-18 (MiG-1) | |
| – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942 ||||||||||
| 10 | 9 February 1942 | 15:57 | R-Z? | | 13 | 6 April 1942 | 08:03 | P-40 | |
| 11 | 9 February 1942 | 16:12 | I-26 (Yak-1) | | 14 | 25 April 1942 | 11:32 | MiG-3 | |
| 12 | 4 April 1942 | 15:14 | Pe-2 | | 15 | 25 April 1942 | 11:40 | MiG-3 | |
| – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943 ||||||||||
| 16 | 28 May 1942 | 09:04 | I-16 | PQ 10131 east of Shlisselburg | 35 | 20 September 1942 | 17:28 | LaGG-3 | PQ 10214 30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg |
| — | 23 July 1942 | — | P-40 | | 36 | 21 September 1942 | 11:07 | P-40 | PQ 10161 southeast of Shlisselburg |
| 17 | 30 July 1942 | 19:45 | I-18 (MiG-3) | PQ 18224 25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Staraya Russa | 37 | 28 September 1942 | 14:46 | LaGG-3 | PQ 00321 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Shlisselburg |
| 18 | 2 August 1942 | 16:52 | MiG-3 | PQ 00243 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Leningrad | 38 | 28 September 1942 | 15:21 | Hurricane | PQ 00264 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Shlisselburg |
| 19 | 2 August 1942 | 19:12 | MiG-3 | PQ 00164, Aleksandrowka 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Leningrad | 39 | 29 September 1942 | 06:54? | LaGG-3 | PQ 00251, Oserki 15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg |
| 20 | 13 August 1942 | 17:53 | P-40 | PQ 18261 30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Staraya Russa | 40 | 26 October 1942 | 08:45 | Il-2 | PQ 28263 20 km (12 mi) southwest of Waldi |
| 21 | 13 August 1942 | 17:55 | P-40 | PQ 18264 30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Staraya Russa | 41 | 26 October 1942 | 13:57 | LaGG-3 | PQ 18334 30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Staraya Russa |
| 22 | 28 August 1942 | 11:23 | MiG-3 | PQ 10181 east of Mga | 42 | 30 October 1942 | 08:55 | LaGG-3 | PQ 28123 40 km (25 mi) northwest of Demyansk |
| 23 | 29 August 1942 | 10:28 | MiG-3 | PQ 10164 vicinity of Putilowo | 43 | 30 October 1942 | 09:37 | LaGG-3 | PQ 29783, Tschasyja 45 km (28 mi) north-northwest of Demyansk |
| 24 | 29 August 1942 | 10:31 | MiG-3 | PQ 10164 vicinity of Putilowo | 44 | 7 November 1942 | 08:48 | P-40 | PQ 38742 vicinity of Ostashkov |
| 25 | 31 August 1942 | 17:16 | MiG-3 | PQ 10191, Kilosi | 45 | 7 November 1942 | 08:57 | P-40 | PQ 28843 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Ostashkov |
| 26 | 31 August 1942 | 17:20 | MiG-3 | PQ 10164 vicinity of Putilowo | 46 | 14 November 1942 | 11:35 | LaGG-3 | PQ 10262 25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg |
| 27 | 1 September 1942 | 10:55 | LaGG-3 | PQ 10254 30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg | 47 | 22 November 1942 | 11:45 | Pe-2 | PQ 90441 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Volosovo |
| 28 | 2 September 1942 | 10:12 | LaGG-3 | PQ 00212 20 km (12 mi) east of Leningrad | 48 | 17 December 1942 | 10:40? | MiG-3 | PQ 46214 20 km (12 mi) south of Zubtsov |
| 29 | 2 September 1942 | 18:39 | MiG-3 | PQ 10113 vicinity of Shlisselburg | 49? | 25 December 1942 | 12:48 | Il-2 | PQ 07741 |
| 30 | 3 September 1942 | 11:02 | P-40 | PQ 10254 30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg | 50 | 25 December 1942 | 12:50 | Il-2 | PQ 07742 20 km (12 mi) southwest of Velikiye Luki |
| 31 | 3 September 1942 | 11:07 | P-40 | PQ 10254 30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg | 51 | 29 December 1942 | 08:36 | Yak-1 | PQ 07692 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Velikiye Luki |
| 32 | 9 September 1942 | 11:12 | P-40 | PQ 10242 25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Shlisselburg | 52 | 29 December 1942 | 08:40 | La-5 | PQ 07733 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Velikiye Luki |
| 33 | 9 September 1942 | 17:20 | MiG-3 | PQ 00264 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Shlisselburg | 53 | 29 December 1942 | 08:49 | La-5 | PQ 07591 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Velikiye Luki |
| 34 | 15 September 1942 | 06:04 | P-40 | PQ 10241 25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Shlisselburg | 54 | 29 December 1942 | 11:16 | Yak-1 | PQ 07594 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Velikiye Luki |
| – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Defense of the Reich — 27 March – August 1943 ||||||||||
| 55 | 25 June 1943 | 09:03 | B-17 | southwest of Dörpen | 58 | 27 July 1943 | 20:13 | Ventura | PQ 05 Ost S/GK Haarlem |
| 56 | 18 July 1943 | 07:15 | P-51 | 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Scheveningen | 59 | 12 August 1943 | 08:52 | B-17 | PQ 05 Ost S/LN-3/6 Kerken-Kempen |
| 57 | 25 July 1943 | 15:19 | Spitfire | west of Wijk aan Zee | | | | | |
| – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Defense of the Reich — November 1943 – March 1944 ||||||||||
| 60 | 29 November 1943 | 14:58 | B-17? | Cloppenburg | 63 | 6 March 1944 | 11:58 | B-17 | PQ 05 Ost EQ Sögel-Cloppenburg |
| 61 | 20 February 1944 | 12:57 | B-17 | PQ 15 Ost JD | 64 | 6 March 1944 | 14:49 | B-17 | Reinsehlen |
| 62 | 20 February 1944 | 13:06 | B-17* | PQ 15 Ost JE | — | 6 March 1944 | — | B-17 | |
| – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Defense of the Reich — March 1944 ||||||||||
| 65 | 18 March 1944 | 15:20 | B-17 | PQ 04 Ost CQ-6 Lahr-Biberach | | | | | |
| – Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Defense of the Reich — May 1944 ||||||||||
| 66 | 19 May 1944 | 13:10 | B-24* | PQ 15 Ost HB-4 | 67 | 27 May 1944 | 12:19 | B-17 | PQ 04 Ost DO-6/DP-4 Ballons de Voges |

### Awards

* Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
* Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 26 October 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot
* German Cross in Gold on 17 November 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 54
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 January 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 54